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A Murder Carol/Transcript
The night before Christmas Eve, on the airship... Isaac Bontemps: , we're living in troubled times! It transpired that the fire in Concordia was started by a police officer... Isaac: Worse yet, the young officer started the fire in an attempt to destroy evidence! Maddie: A disquieting development indeed! And Koll refuses to reveal who made him light that fire! Maddie: But chin up, Bontemps! We shall turn our minds to a more cheerful business: decorating our airship for Christmas! Isaac: Christmas? Bah, I take a dim view of such childish distractions! Isaac: , care to join me on a walk before Madeline enlists our help with the festivities? In the streets of New Haven... Isaac: , I confess that Christmas festivities do not make my spirit soar with enthusiasm. Isaac: It is not that I am a joyless fellow, but- (Isaac's hat is blown away by the wind.) Isaac: Thunderation! The blasted wind blew my hat away! Isaac: I saw it fly towards that alleyway over there! It shan't take long to capture it, ! Chapter 1 Investigate Back Alley. Isaac Bontemps: I've found my hat, ! I shall not permit the treacherous wind to- Isaac: But, my word, you're right! That man appears deceased! Isaac: I took him for a drunk, slumped as he is over that barrel, but there is a wound on his skull! His life was taken by violence. Isaac: And... Wait, I recognize this fellow! He's Rowdy Rick, a known miscreant, habitually disturbing the place in New Haven! I've apprehended him many a time! Isaac: You reckon a fight with some other hoodlum led to Rowdy Rick's demise? That knuckle duster suggests you are right. Revealing what's carved in the middle shall be instructive! Isaac: And that blood-stained note may be something the killer lost, fleeing the scene! Young Charlie's machine should help decipher those symbols! Isaac: , I did not wish for this somber turn of events to halt our Christmas preparations... But work shall come before festivities! Examine Brass Knuckle Duster. Isaac: , I recognize the name etched into that knuckle duster! Vinnie Costa is another habitual troublemaker. An Italian, giving a bad name to his fellow countrymen. Isaac: Vinnie must be drinking in the tavern at this hour. I propose we ask what he knows about Rowdy Rick's demise! Ask Vinnie Costa about his knuckle duster. Vinnie: , not the police with their flying cigar! Vinnie: What is it you want? I'm just an honest man enjoying a drink after a hard day's labor! Isaac: Vinnie, you've not done a day's labor in your life, except robbing old ladies and beating up beggars! Isaac: We found your knuckle duster near Rowdy Rick's body. What have you got to say for yourself? Vinnie: Rowdy Rick's dead? Vinnie: Mamma mia! Rick was like a little brother to me! Isaac: Brothers have been known to quarrel, Vinnie... Did you have a fight with Rick? Vinnie: It wasn't a fight! I was TEACHING Rick to defend himself, <Rank> ! Vinnie: It's a tough life out on the streets! I did him a favor by taking him under my wing! Isaac: Or so you say. Well, how about you do US a favor. We should like to inspect Rick's quarters. Do you know where he lived? Vinnie: ! In the old boarding house on Rookery Lane! Isaac: shall inspect the premises! I trust you'll abstain from fighting tonight, Vinnie! Investigate Victim's Room. Isaac: , I do wonder where Rowdy Rick found the money to pay for his lodgings... Isaac: Perchance that canvas sack holds the answer! We ought to inspect its contents! Isaac: The crumbs on that tray might've been the victim's last meal. I shan't argue with your plan: gather a sample! Examine Tray with Crumbs. Isaac: , cleaning that tray revealed a message: "Merry Christmas, Rick"! Isaac: Tip-top thinking, ! Examining those crumbs under the microscope might lead us to the victim's well-wisher! Examine Crumbs. Isaac: The crumbs on the tray in Rick's quarters are manifestly the remains of gingerbread! Isaac: We know someone gave them to Rick for Christmas... But we don't know who! Isaac: Except... , I know a young woman who sells gingerbread biscuits on the street! I bought some just yesterday! She might be of assistance! Isaac: I know, I spoke dismissively of Christmas when Madeline mentioned it... But I have no objections to gingerbread... Isaac: Well, I propose we find this cookie seller without further ado, and ask her who bought gingerbread for the victim! A few minutes later... Cookie Seller: Mister Bontemps, you're back! And you've brought a friend! Would you like more gingerbread? Or a muffin? Isaac: Delicacies are for another time, child. Pray tell, who else bought gingerbread from you today? Cookie Seller: That would be Maggie Scrubber. She bought a full tray of gingerbread for her lodger. I beg she ain't in trouble? Isaac (offering a shilling): Leave it to us, child. Now take this shilling and hurry home! and I shall pay Mrs Scrubber a visit! Talk to Mrs Scrubber about the victim. Isaac: Good evening, Mrs Scrubber. We're here to- Maggie: The police? Heavens, don't tell me there's another fire! Isaac: Nothing of the sort, Mrs Scrubber. We are here to ask about Rowdy Rick. Maggie: Aye, I know Rick. I rent this room to him. What about it? Isaac: A sordid affair, I'm afraid. We found him murdered in an alleyway. Maggie: Rick, murdered? Maggie: May the devil choke the villain that did it! Maggie: How am I to find a new tenant now? One that ain't a prostitute with head lice... or worse yet: Irish! Isaac: I see. You prefer to rent your rooms to hoodlums that drink and fight. Maggie: So long as they do it elsewhere, I don't give a diddly! Now if you're done, I should like to sleep! Examine Sack. Isaac: , those pretty trinkets in the sack can't have belonged to a brute like Rowdy Rick. But I see it is that business card that took your fancy! Isaac: The card says, "Mr Bleak, money lender and pawn broker." Alas, this must be who the sack's contents belong to! Isaac: The poor pawn their valuables to borrow money from Mr Bleak... And he charges them interest that'll keep them poor for life! Isaac: But I digress. We must ascertain how our victim got ahold of Mr Bleak's possessions! Ask Mr Bleak about the victim. Mr Bleak: Do you wish to pawn that golden monocle, Sir? I'm about to close the shop... But I give you four shillings at 20% interest. Isaac: How audacious! We are not here to pawn our possessions! Isaac: We are investigating Rowdy Rick's murder. What was your association with the fellow? Mr Bleak: Rowdy Rick, murdered?! Blood and thunder! He worked for me! Mr Bleak: You see, customers eager to borrow money from me are often stubbornly reluctant to pay it back. I employed Rick to give such customers a little incentive. Isaac: You mean you exploit the misfortunes of the poor... And you employ a thug to beat them up when they can't pay? Mr Bleak: They know the rules when they come to me, ! Mr Bleak: And then they weep that the roof needs mending, that their clothes are threadbare, that their children go hungry at Christmas! As if that is my fault! Mr Bleak: And now I lose my employee at the busiest time of year! But no one has any sympathy for me! Examine Scribbled Symbols. Isaac: , the scribblings on that blood-stained note are numbers! Miss Holloway will know their meaning! Analyze Numbers on Note. Evie (holding a pile of books): , where have I put my book? I was going to show you... Evie: Ah, here! "The Laws and Principles of Whist, Stated and Explained, and its Practice Illustrated on an Original System, by Means of Hands Played Completely Through"! Isaac: I'm afraid I didn't follow that... Evie: The title is a little long-winded, but this book explains the meaning of these numbers you sent me, ! This card is a whist marker! Evie: Whist is a simple but ingenious game of cards, . My great-aunt Agatha was very fond of it. Isaac: Whist is also popular with the swindlers of New Haven. Foolish young men lose their wages to sharp dealers every night in secret gambling dens. Isaac: And this score card was found sprinkled with blood next to Rowdy Rick's body... Isaac: I bet my bottom shilling you are right, , and the killer played whist with the victim just before murdering him! And now we have a trump card against them! Autopsy Victim's Body. Dick: , I'm delighted to see you! I was about to conduct a little self-experiment. Dick (holding a wine glass): I postulate that alcohol remains in the blood stream for hours after it is consumed! I estimate this fellow had seventeen glasses. But an experiment under laboratory conditions is necessary for- Isaac: Before you gulp down that wine in the name of science, Richard... Could you perchance elaborate on this fellow's fate? Dick: Very well. The wound noticed on the victim's skull shows he was killed by a blow to the head, administered with a heavy object. Isaac: A drunken brawl is a predictable end for someone nicknamed Rowdy Rick... Has the culprit left any clues on the body, Richard? Dick: Anatomically speaking, nothing besides two broken ribs. But there was this piece of paper in the victim's clenched fist which you might find informative! Dick: The paper appears to be the torn corner of a lottery ticket! The victim evidently did not wish to part with it. Isaac: Most interesting! , you reckon the killer and the victim tore this lottery ticket apart in the brawl? Isaac: If the killer and the victim fought over this ticket, both of them must've had a stake in the lottery! We're looking for someone who plays! Isaac: But with you on the case, , the killer's luck has already run out! Later on in the victim's room... Isaac: , the law-abiding citizens of Concordia are asleep in bed, dreaming of Christmas... Isaac: ... But Rowdy Rick never got home tonight! He seems to have been murdered in a back-alley brawl. Isaac: Now, we shall find his killer! My money is on Vinnie Costa. He professed to be Rick's friend, but friendships among his kind quickly turn to strife! Isaac: The victim's employer, Mr Bleak, is a heartless scrooge, but he held no grudge against Rick... Isaac: No did his landlady, who- THUD! THUD! Isaac: Wait... , did you hear that noise? THUD! THUD! Isaac: There it is again! It seems to be originating from the fireplace! Let's see- (When Isaac comes to the fireplace, he is stained with soot.) SWOOOOSH Isaac: .............. Isaac (coughing): Cough! , what happened? HEEELP ME! Isaac: ............. Chapter 2 In the victim's room... Isaac Bontemps: , the law-abiding citizens of Concordia are asleep in their bed, dreaming of Christmas... Isaac: But Rowdy Rick never got home tonight! He seems to have been murdered in a back-alley brawl. Isaac: Now, we shall find his killer! Firstly- THUD! THUD! Isaac: Wait... , did you hear that noise? THUD! THUD! Isaac: There it is again! It seems to be originating from the fireplace! Let's see- (When Isaac comes to the fireplace, Pip falls into it, staining them both with soot.) SWOOOOSH Isaac: .............. Isaac (coughing): Cough! , what happened? Pip: Dang it, I been smoked out! Isaac: Heavens! What creature are you? And what strange spell conjured you up in this room? Pip: I ain't come by dint of magic, Mister. I fell into the fireplace from the chimney! I be a chimney sweep! Isaac: Well, I'll be damned! Dust yourself off, boy, shall hear your story! Ask the little chimney sweep what he's doing in the victim's room. Isaac: What is your name, boy? And why aren't you home, tucked in bed? Pip: My name is Pip, Sir. I have no bed nor home. Pip: Papa's out of work, he says ain't nobody in Concordia want to hire an Irishman. So I had to leave my family and fend for meself. Isaac: Oh, that is... very unfortunate. Pip: Luckily, I'm small and agile, so I can earn a few shillings cleaning chimneys! Pip: I planned to sleep in Rick's fireplace tonight. Awful cold out there! And it ain't like Rick'd be needing his room anymore. Isaac: Is that so? What do you know of Rowdy Rick? Pip: Aye, he bought the farm, Mister. Killed, he was! I heard it from the men in the gambling room. I hid meself in the chimney, they didn't know I was there. Isaac: A gambling room, you say? Where is this place? Pip: In the cellar of The Old Ale House. Rick and his chums play cards there all night. Isaac: I knew there had to be a gambling den around here... , fancy a child discovering it before we do! Isaac: shall take stock of this gambling den, Pip! And you, boy, stay out of trouble! Investigate Gambling Den. Isaac: My word, , this place is but a stone's throw away from the crime scene! I'll be damned if Rowdy Rick wasn't playing here before his end! Isaac: That box must be a gambler's treasure chest. We shall inspect its contents! And those torn shreds need swift hands to restore them, ! Examine Locked Box. Isaac: Never in my life have I seen a device resembling the one you pulled out of that box, ! Isaac: But our young Charlie is an expert in all contraptions! Time to request his assistance! Analyze Strange Device. Charles: ! I've been hard at work of late, I barely had time to call on you. Charles: Madeline tasked me with designing Christmas lights for our airship. They run on electricity! Just the fireproofing seems to be a challenge. Isaac: Considering half of New Haven has just burned down, I do hope you overcome that difficulty! Isaac: But now, young Charlie, educate us about this contrivance we found in a gambling room! Charles: Oh, that'd be a mechanism for cheating in card games, . Fastened to the arm under one's clothing, it slides cards to the player's hand by way of pulling a string. Isaac: Did you say card games? We already know playing whist is one of our killer's pastimes! Can you tell us who conceived of this device? Charles: Inventors are proud of their inventions, , and this instrument bears the mark of Trickster Tim. A known sharp dealer in New Haven. Isaac: Trickster Tim, eh? We shall apprehend him for his gambling habit, and see if he knows anything about Rick's murder! Question Trickster Tim about his cheating device. Isaac: Trickster Tim, are you the owner and inventor of this device? Tim: Damnation! I know every card trick in the book, but none that shelter me from meddling detectives! Tim: , I know the police frowns upon gambling, but it's my sole talent to earn a living! Tim: Unless I win tomorrow's lottery, in which case I shan't deal cards ever again! Tim: You shall be lucky that cheating is not our business tonight. A fellow named Rowdy Rick was murdered. We believe it was a gambler that caused him to cash in his chips. Tim: Rick's dead? You'd be betting on the wrong horse if you think I did it, ! Tim: I won a hundred shillings from Rowdy Rick tonight. I'd be a damned fool to kill a man who made me so prosperous! Isaac: You'd do well to behave yourself, Tim! Our concern tonight is murder, but we still have room for cheaters in our cells! Examine Torn Paper. Isaac: A sinister development, ! The message scribbled on that playing card says, "You are dead, Rick"! Isaac: Let us make haste and collect a sample of that stain! It may give away who threatened our victim! Examine Substance on Card. Isaac: Perfect! We have a sample of that substance on the card the killer dealt to threaten our victim! Isaac: We'd better ship that specimen to our laboratory, ! What's invisible to the naked eye will give up its secrets to Viola Pemberton! Analyze Transparent Substance. Viola: Behold! A fearsome apparition! What strange visitors intrude upon my peaceful night? Isaac: It's just us, Viola... and I. Viola: Oh, forgive me, . I was reciting from a play our troupe shall perform tomorrow, on Christmas Eve. A terrifying tale of a man visited by ghosts, and- Isaac: Never mind the ghosts, Viola. Unless it's the spirit of Rowdy Rick coming to help us solve his murder! Viola: Then let us turn our minds to matters of science. The material collected from the playing card is consistent with human saliva. Viola: Someone must've spat on this card. Most objectionable behavior, if you ask me. Isaac: Whoever spat on that card did worse than that, Viola! They wrote a death threat to our victim! Can this specimen identify them? Viola: There were minuscule traces of tobacco snuff in the saliva. Snuffing tobacco is another reprehensible habit of your killer's, . Isaac: Splendid work! This tobaco-snuffing killer shall be ours before the new day dawns! Isaac: This is the perfect time to revisit the crime scene! Our new discovery shall put a spring in our steps! Investigate Pavement. Isaac: , we ought to recover the writing on that burned paper. We know only too well that fire could be a means to destroying criminal evidence! Isaac: And those broken pieces shan't be beyond repair in your able hands! Examine Burned Page. Isaac: , that burned note is a threat! It clearly says "Death for Rick!" Isaac: The rest of the note looks like calculations of a financial nature. Owing this, credited that... Isaac: Smart thinking, ! We do have a suspect in the business of finance: Mr Bleak, the miserly money lender! Isaac: Further to the point, Mr Bleak was Rick's employer! And, it would seem, he blamed the victim for a shortfall in profit! Isaac: Quite right, , what Mr Bleak owes us now is an explanation! Ask Mr Bleak about wishing death on the victim. Isaac: Mr Bleak, you said you employed Rowdy Rick as a debt collector. But you didn't say you blamed him for a shortfall... and that you wished him dead! Mr Bleak: What rotten luck that you should find my note, ! Mr Bleak: I shan't deny it: employing that lout was a capital mistake! He was good at beating up debtors... But he refused to hand over what he collected! Mr Bleak: When I confronted him, he threatened ME, and had the cheek to say I should've paid him a decent wage! Mr Bleak: How, I asked? I even tried my hand at whist, in a desperate bid to balance my books! Not that anyone cares about MY hardship! Isaac: Perhaps Rick had a point about paying decent wages, Mr Bleak. Mr Bleak: Bah! Humbug! I'll pay decent wages when I win the lottery, ! Now let me close up shop and go home! Examine Broken Pieces. Isaac: A chamber pot, in the streets of Concordia? I have no words! Isaac: According to the inscription, the victim's landlady claims ownership of this device of a... scatological nature. Isaac: Tossing aside chamber pots in public is disgraceful! I did not expect such conduct from Mrs Scrubber. Isaac: Not to mention this evidence places Mrs Scrubber on the scene of the crime! I agree, , she ought to answer a few questions! Ask Maggie Scrubber about her chamber pot. Isaac: Mrs Scrubber, we found your chamber pot thrown out on a public thoroughfare! That alone is an offense! Isaac: Worse is the fact that it was found at the scene of your lodger's murder! Please explain yourself. Maggie: That is my chamber pot indeed! I broke it on Rick's head when I discovered he was gambling away the rent! Maggie: I pleaded with him, told him I needed the money! With tenants like him, I ain't got enough to buy a pinch of snuff! How am I to feed my family on Christmas Eve? Maggie: But Rick just laughed, and promised he'd pay me more than I could win on the lottery! Humbuggery it was, I knew it! Isaac: So you went after Rick, broke the chamber pot on his head and left him for dead, didn't you? Maggie: I wish! He was still very much alive when he went in to gamble away the last of his shillings! Isaac: You'd better be telling the truth, Mrs Scrubber! The rent is cheap in jail, you know! Later, on the airship... Isaac: , Christmas is only a night away, but for the poor of New Haven, it is a time of misery! Isaac: Money is at the root of everyone's woes, and the most likely motive in Rowdy Rick's murder. Isaac: Mrs Scrubber was seething because her lodger gambled away the rent... Lining the pockets of cheaters like Trickster Tim. Isaac: Mr Bleak claimed to be too poor to pay Rick a decent wage... blaming him for a shortfall in profit. Isaac: The only one making an honest living is a child who left his family, for his parents cannot afford to feed him! What a sad state of- Maddie: ! There's an emergency! Maddie: A beat officer called for backup, he says his life is in danger! Chapter 3 Isaac Bontemps: , Christmas is only a night away, but for the poor of New Haven, it is a time of misery! Isaac: Money is at the root of everyone's woes, and the most likely motive in Rowdy Rick's murder. But- Maddie: ! There's an emergency! A beat officer called for backup, he says his life is in danger! Isaac: Blast it! Where? Maddie: On Rookery Lane! Isaac: Hellfire, that's where our victim lived! , we must attend the scene immediately! A few minutes later, in the victim's quarters... Constable Ramirez: Please, Ma'am- Maggie: I told you to get off my property! I'm moving in another lodger tomorrow! I don't have time for the police to nose around! Constable Ramirez: But Mrs Scrubber- Maggie: Get out of my way or I'll smack you one! Constable Ramirez: This is a crime scene, Ma'am, and is in cha- BANNNNNGGGG! (Constable Ramirez is stunned after Maggie hits him with a frying pan.) Maggie: That'll learn him, trespassing on private property! Isaac: Mrs Scrubber! Attacking the police is a serious offense! Isaac: Constable Ramirez, are you harmed? Constable Ramirez: I'm fine! I volunteer to escort the offender into custody while you search the scene in peace! Isaac: Thank you, Ramirez! Your bravery will not go unremembered. Isaac: , we'd better search the premises before fresh disturbance breaks out! We shall not be deterred by such intimidation! Investigate Kitchen Corner. Isaac: , we know Rowdy Rick took valuables from poor debtors by force. No doubt that silver locket belonged to one of them. Isaac: And if that girl in the picture suffered in Rick's hands, she'd have cause to wish him dead! We shall track her down! Isaac: And behold, someone left a Christmas present for our victim! Isaac: But why is there a lock on the box? You are right, we shall open it without further ado! Matching the symbols should do the trick! Isaac: I wonder why anyone'd ruin a delicate fabric by tearing it to shreds? We ought to restore it to know more! Isaac: , Concordians deserve to celebrate Christmas without a killer running loose! We shall double our efforts to find this felon! Examine Silver Locket. Isaac: , we are in luck! We do have a record of the girl whose locket you found in Rick's quarters! Her name is Pippa Caffrey... a recent Irish immigrant. Isaac: Pippa... That name sounds familiar... Isaac: Confound it, you're right! This is Pip, the chimney sweep! Pip is a girl! Isaac: More to the point, this pendant suggests Pippa may have had a spot of contention with the victim! Isaac: Quite right, , we ought to let our little chimney sweep know we're onto her secrets! Confront Pippa about her real identity. Isaac: Pippa Caffrey, you're a girl in trouble! Pip: Don't know what you mean, Mister. My name's Pip! And I ain't no girl! Isaac: Young lady, you shall not lie! found your locket among Rick's belongings! (Pip removes his hat to expose pigtails, revealing that Pip is female.) Pip: I'm sorry I lied to you, ... But if folks knew I was a girl, they wouldn't give me a job! Isaac: We sympathize with your plight, but there is a more pressing matter. How did Rowdy Rick get ahold of your pendant? Did he take it from you by force? Pip: No! I gave that pendant to Rick as payment! It's real silver! Isaac: Payment? For what? Pip: So he'd beat up that horrible man, Mr Bleak! He took everything from my family! He's the reason I had to leave home and find work! Pip: I begged Rick to give Mr Bleak a whack in the head while he's snuffing tobacco! Pip: But Rick refused! He said he'd keep the locket safe for me, but he wouldn't harm nobody on my account! Some friend he was! He betrayed me! Isaac: No, child, he didn't. Having the sense to shelter you from lawless violence was perhaps the only decent thing Rick ever did! Examine Christmas Present. Isaac: Dear Lord, is that a dead rat? Isaac: What are we to do with this, ? Isaac: You want to give it to Rose? It's bad enough that she keeps a living rat on our airship! I don't see why she's in need of a dead one! Isaac: But I concede that Rose knows the creatures and denizens of the city's dark underbelly better than anyone. She's lived on the streets for some time herself... We shall call on her assistance! Analyze Dead Rat. Rose: , next time, be kind enough to warn me before you send me poor deceased creatures. Rasputin was very upset. Isaac: Someone sent this rat as a Christmas present to our victim. We were hoping you'd know what to make of it. Rose: It wasn't a gift of love, but a token of bad blood. In the language of the street, the rat means betrayal: "you ratted on me." Rose: But the threat was disguised as a gift, suggesting the sender was a friend. Rose: , who among your suspects proclaimed to be the victim's friend? That's whose door I'd knock on for answers! Isaac: Blast it, , that would be Vinnie Costa! We shall question him without delay! Confront Vinnie Costa about sending a dead rat. Isaac: Vinnie, you told us Rowdy Rick was your friend! But you sent him a dead rat for Christmas! Vinnie: You found out! Vinnie: Rick betrayed the unwritten code of honor, ! I saw him talk to the police! Isaac: The police? What about? Vinnie: Don't ask me, , I don't know, and don't care! Vinnie: But Rick had to learn thath onest men settle their arguments with their fists! Not by rattling to the cops! Isaac: And Rick didn't heed your warning, so you silenced him before he ratted on YOU? Vinnie: , , what are you saying? Rick was like family to me! I taught him everything he knew, I shared my snuff with him! Vinnie: I promised to take him to Italy on board the Gigantic if I win the lottery! I wished him no harm, ! , my poor friend! Isaac: Horsefeathers! With friends like you, Rick had no need for enemies! Examine Torn Silk. Isaac: , that silk scarf you restored bears the initials T.T. If memory serves, that matches one of our suspects: Trickster Tim! Isaac: Trickster Tim admitted he played cards with the victim... Isaac: ...But this torn scarf could be evidence of a fight! Isaac: Quite right, , we shall solicit some answers from Trickster Tim! Ask Trickster Tim about his silk scarf. Tim: , if you're intending to keep me here all night, could I possibly have a pinch of snuff? Isaac: A pinch of snuff? Hah, that's very droll, if I say so myself. What else tickles your fancy? A stuffed turkey? Isaac: Or, perchance, you'd care for a pretty scarf? found it in our victim's lodgings, in pieces! Tim: What? He tore it up, that brute? It's real silk! Tim: Rick won that scarf in whist from me, but clearly, he had no appreciation for fine things! Pearls before swine! Isaac: So he didn't tear it up in a brawl with you? Nor did you retaliate by smashing his skull? Tim: I resent your accusations, ! Rowdy Rick mishandled my property, and I'm the one behind bars? So much for justice! So much for Christmas spirit! Later, on the airship... Isaac: , yours is rare intellect. And my word, we need a clear head now! Isaac: True to his sobriquet, Rowdy Rick had little regard for peace or property. His gambling partner called him a swine... Isaac: ... While his one friend, Vinnie Costa, likened him to a rat. A dead one, to be clear. Isaac: And yet, even a brute like Rowdy Rick did one good turn: he sheltered a poor child from the same life of violence that led to his own demise. Isaac: And now it is our duty to bring Rick's killer to justice! Time is running out! Where shall we turn? Isaac: The gambling den! Brilliant plan, ! We shall dawdie no more! Investigate Card Tables. Isaac: , we could not look under that pile of cards before. But we shall leave none of it unturned now! Isaac: And I'll be damned if that isn't a snuff box! We already know our killer favors that habit! Isaac: But thanks to the marvels of modern science, collecting the smallest particles from the box's lid may lead us to its owner! Examine Pile of Cards. Isaac: Capital find, ! That piece of brass you found under the cards looks like a barrel tap! And it's stained with blood! Isaac: Seeing that the victim was slumped over a barrel, this tap may be our murder weapon! We shall send it to Rose for confirmation! Isaac: Oh, something else in the pile caught your attention? Isaac: Hellfire, you're correct again: that whist score card has Vinnie Costa's name on it! Which makes him not only a gambler, but a probable killer, too! Analyze Brass Tap. Rose: , do you have a favorite murder weapon? Personally, I admire firearms the most. So intricate, elegant, and efficient. Isaac: I do hope you are not planning to dispatch anyone to the great beyond, Rose? Rose: Do not alarm yourself, Bontemps. The only man I've ever thought of murdering was my dear husband. Isaac: The one who's... unfortunately deceased? Rose: Indeed. Anyway, as I was saying, anything can become a murder weapon in able hands. Like this brass tap. All you need is proximity to the victim, and sufficient force to administer the blow. Rose: I've made some calculations, , and concluded that your killer must weigh more than 150 pounds to have bashed in the victim's skull with a single blow. Rose: If this killer was a turkey, I'd roast them for Christmas with gravy and Brussels sprouts, and we'd feast on him for a week! Isaac: Rose, you do say the most extraordinary things! Roasting a killer for Christmas...! I shall be an uneasy guest at your dinner table if I'm ever to receive an invitation. Rose: Oh, don't be silly, Bontemps! Go on, is eager to arrest this 150-pound killer. Don't keep them waiting! Examine Snuff Box. Isaac: , those particles you lifted from that snuff box might tell us something about the killer! Let us call upon Viola's assistance! Analyze Particles. Isaac: Viola, I hope you have made progress with these particles collected from the killer's snuff box! Viola: You ought not wrinkle your forehead so much, Isaac, else you'll look old before your time. Isaac: Are you saying I look... old? Viola: Not at all, Isaac! I was referring to the effect of aging on human skin! A process as noticeable as the colors changing on autumn leaves! Viola: These tiny flakes are skin cells, . Under the microscope, they appear healthy, unspoilt by harsh labor, damp weather, smallpox or frostbite. Viola: , based on the quality of their skin, your killer ought to be a young man or woman... One that has not seen their 30th birthday yet. Isaac: Viola, you have given us a reason to smile and not frown! We shall round up this killer before the new day dawns! Isaac: , we have amassed sufficient evidence to put Rowdy Rick's killer behind bars! Let us bring Concordia a peaceful Christmas! Take care of the killer now! Isaac: Trickster Tim, you are under arrest for the heedless murder of Rowdy Rick! Tim: What in the devil do you mean? I told you, I didn't do it! Isaac: But you never denied being a gambler, and the death threat you wrote on this card speaks for itself! Tim: I wasn't the only one playing with Rick! At least six other fellows could have dealt him that card! Isaac: We know it was you and no one else! The tobacco snuff you spat on the card has identified you! Tim: I'm calling your bluff, ! Snuffing tobacco has never sent anyone to jail! Isaac: We found your murder weapon! You used a brass tap that came loose to hit Rick in the head, just outside your secret gambling place! Isaac: Then you swiftly returned to the cards table, leaving your companion for dead! The broken tap was still in your hands, so you hid it under a pile of cards! Tim: Alright, alright, , I see you hold all the aces! I admit it, it was me! Tim: Rowdy Rick was a swindler, if I say so myself! I might cheat when I'm dealt a bad hand, but I'd never disgrace myself by refusing to settle a debt! Isaac: So Rick didn't want to pay when he lost? Is that what the tiff was about? Tim: I did not kill him for money, ! I'm not some greedy, low-class pig! Gambling is an art to me, and I am a gentleman! Tim: But I could not tolerate Rick's stubborn refusal to give up what was mine! It wasn't even money, just a useless piece of paper! Isaac: A piece of paper, you say? Wait... Would that be a lottery ticket? Rick was still clutching the torn corner of one in the morgue! Tim: How in the devil do you know even that, ! Tim (holding a lottery ticket): 'Tis true, I snatched this from his cold, dead hands! This ticket was all he had left, and I won it in the last round! Isaac: Seeing as your luck has run out, you have no further need for that ticket. You are under arrest for murder! Judge Takakura: I've got a delicious Christmas pudding waiting for me at home, so let us deal with this swiftly. "Trickster" Tim, you stand trial for the murder of "Rowdy" Rick... Judge Takakura: Goodness, does anyone in these proceedings have an honest Christian name? Judge Takakura: But anyway... Trickster Tim, how do you plead? Tim: Guilty, Your Honor! But only by YOUR laws! The age-old honor code of thieves condemns Rowdy Rick, not me, for refusing to pay a debt of cards! Judge Takakura: It is YOU who owe a debt to civilized society, and you shall pay it by serving a sentence of twelve years in prison! Tim: I shall make the most of it, Your Honor! Plenty of new tricks to learn in prison! Later, back on the airship... Maddie: Another splendid success, ! Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve, and thanks to you, the citizens of Concordia shall celebrate in peace! Isaac: I'm afraid there is little cause for merriment, Madeline. The streets are still teeming with delinquents, and the lives of honest citizens are fraught with hardship. Maddie: Oh, Bontemps, don't be so glum! Someone's bound to get lucky tomorrow night! The lottery will be drawn, and now we have our very own ticket! Maddie (holding a lottery ticket): Look, I've taped together the pieces: the one you confiscated from Trickster Tim, and the one Dick found in the victim's hands! What if we win it, ? Isaac: Bah! Childish distractions! Maddie: , Bontemps will change his mind tomorrow, when we light up the Christmas lights! But first we should all get a good night's sleep, so we'll be ready to celebrate! A New Beginning (4/6) The next evening, on Christmas Eve... Isaac Bontemps: , you've done stellar work putting Trickster Tim behind bars! Isaac: Our investigations also uncovered a hidden gambling room. I propose we inspect that hotbed of sin one last time, then close it down for good! Will you come with me, ? Maddie: Just make sure you're back soon, ! Tonight is Christmas Eve... Maddie (holding a lottery ticket): ... And I'm mad as hops about the lottery draw! Isaac: Heavens, with all this festive upheaval, it'll be a miracle if we get any work done, ! Let us make our escape, before we- Evie: , forgive me for interrupting, but there's a chimney sweep in my library! I had no idea we required such services on our airship... But she insists on talking to you. Isaac: My word, that must be Pippa! How on earth did she smuggle herself on board the airship? Isaac: Go and see what our little stowaway wants, , but be swift! Real detective work awaits in the gambling den! See what Pippa wants. Pip: , what a fabulous flying police station you have here! Evie: How did you sneak in here, child? We don't even have chimneys to clean! Pip: I hid in a delivery crate! Evie: That is... quite ingenious. Alright, why don't you tell your petition! Pip: I want to find my parents! I went to our house, but the landlord said they'd been evicted. Suppose they couldn't pay the rent. Pip: I saved all my money to buy Ma and Pa a tiny pie for Christmas... But I don't know where they are! Will you help me find them? Evie: I agree, , we cannot ignore a child's plea for help on Christmas Eve! Evie: But I cannot read the streets of New Haven as easily as my books. I wouldn't know where to look for a clue! Pip: I know the alleyways like the back of my hand, Miss! I'll show you the way! And I'll give you a shilling for good luck, too! Investigate Back Alley. Pip: , you've found a picture! Look, that's me and my family, when we arrived to Concordia! Evie: Let me see... A standard photograph for immigration records. There ought to be a number at the bottom that identifies each family. Evie: I'm rather clumsy... And Pippa might smear soot on the picture. It's best if you recover that number, ! Examine Photo. Evie: , now we have a number to work with, I feel more confident! Evie: But I really must return to my library for further research! Come by in a few hours, and I will know more about Pippa's family! Analyze Immigration Number. Evie: , good news! The number on the photo allowed me to trace the Caffrey family's movements since their arrival to Concordia. Evie: The records show that Pippa's parents have been moving from tenement to tenement ever since they arrived. There are some gaps in their history... Evie: But the Caffreys' current address is right here, in New Haven! Pip: , you've found Ma and Pa! Will you take me to see them? Reunite Pippa with her parents. Evie: Mr and Mrs Caffrey... It's about your girl- Mr and Mrs Caffrey: Our girl? Oh, Lord! Did something happen to her? Mrs Caffrey: I told you, we should never have let her go! Mr Caffrey: You think I wanted her to leave? I- Pip: Ma, Pa, I'm here! I've been looking for you everywhere! Mr and Mrs Caffrey: Pippa! There you are! We were so worried about you! Mr and Mrs Caffrey: Now we can celebrate Christmas together! Pip: , merry Christmas to you, too! Investigate Gambling Den. Isaac: , I almost prefer the serenity of this abandoned gambling room to Madeline's chatter about Christmas... Isaac: But I see you're focused on clues! We shall inspect the pockets of that coat! Then we'll close down this place for good! Examine Coat. Isaac: Top work, ! This cloak belonged to Rowdy Rick, his handkerchief proves it! Isaac: But that magnifying glass belongs to the police force! The insignia is on the handle! Isaac: Now, how did a blackguard like Rowdy Rick get ahold of police property? I sense some double-dealing here! Isaac: Fair point, , if this instrument is police property, Viola will know which officer it belongs to! Analyze Magnifying Glass. Viola: , you may recall the Commissioner was mighty proud of creating a new registry of fingerprints! Viola: And you'll be pleased to note this new tool has already proved useful! I have identified the officer whose magnifying glass you recovered from the gambling den! Viola: It was the property of Officer Koll, the young recruit you recently arrested for arson! Isaac: Thunderation! Koll was found guilty of destroying evidence... Now it transpires he was also mixed up with Rowdy Rick! , we shall question this fellow again! Question Officer Koll about his relationship with the victim. Officer Koll: , I already confessed everything! I betrayed the police force! I caused the fire! What more do you want from me? Isaac: A delinquent named Rowdy Rick was murdered, and found your magnifying glass in his pocket. How are we to make sense of this? Officer Koll: Rowdy Rick is dead?! Officer Koll: This is the answer to my prayers on Christmas Eve! Officer Koll: , the brute tormented me every day! Kicked me, punched me, pissed in my hat... Officer Koll: He even stole my possessions just for laughs! Isaac: Rowdy Rick tormented you? We know he harassed poor people who owned money, but what did he want from YOU? Officer Koll: , I dared not speak of this before, fearing what Rick might do to my family. But now he's dead, hear the truth! Officer Koll: It was Rick who forced me to light that fire! He said if I refused, he'd hurt my mother and sister! But if I obeyed, he'd never bother me again! Isaac: Rowdy Rick made you destroy evidence? But why? Speak up, boy! Officer Koll: I know nothing of his reasons! I dared not look inside that barrel I set fire to, so help me God! Isaac: , what a troubling discovery. Perhaps another inspection of Rick's quaters is in order. Officer Koll: Confessing the truth has relieved my soul, ... Please have some refreshment, too, before you proceed! Investigate Victim's Room. Isaac: , that leather wallet looks suspiciously refined for someone like Rowdy Rick! Let us work that latch to know more! Examine Locked Wallet. Isaac: , that note in the wallet says, "Pester that cop and you'll get more!" Isaac: "Pester that cop"? That must mean Officer Koll! Isaac: And the wallet is stuffed with money! Isaac: Blast it! This throws new light on our disgraced officer's confession about the evidence room fire! Isaac: Let us unpack what happened: someone gave this money to Rick... Isaac: ... In exchange, Rick would bully Officer Koll... Isaac: ... Until Koll lit that match in the evidence room, under duress! Isaac: But who wanted evidence to vanish in the fire? The note is not signed, and our only witness is dead... Isaac: Vinnie Costa might help, you reckon? Prodigious idea! Vinnie knows every theif and swindler in town! Let us find him! Ask Vinnie Costa who might have wanted to pay Rick. Vinnie: , what keeps you working on the holy night of Christmas? Isaac: Rather an unholy affair. Criminal evidence was destroyed, some misdeeds thus covered up. Isaac: Your pal Rick played a part in it, but only as a hired hand. We want to know who he worked for. Perchance he mentioned it to you. Vinnie: , you know how I feel about helping the police! It just ain't right! Vinnie: But... there is one thing I don't mind saying, for I have no love for the Irish. Vinnie: A pillar of their community, someone they greatly respect... He'd gain a lot from covering up his past wrongdoings! Isaac: A respectable member of the Irish community is the villain who wanted to destroy criminal evidence? Vinnie: You didn't hear it from me! Now go, I don't want to be seen talking to cops! Later, back on the airship... Isaac: , it's Christmas Eve, but a troubling discovery throws a shadow over our merriment... Isaac: New details have come to light about Officer Koll's regrettable act of arson! Isaac: Coercion and money played a part... But we have not yet identified the culprit who masterminded the act. Isaac: But, if Vinnie Costa is to be believed, we ought to look for this culprit in the Irish community! Isaac: , if a seemingly respectable Irishman is trying to conceal their wrongdoings, we shall try even harder to uncover who- Maddie: ! You won't believe what happened! Isaac: Madeline? What is the matter? Is there an emergency? Maddie (holding a lottery ticket): There is! A happy one! The lottery numbers have just been announced! We won a thousand shillings! Isaac: Did we? Well, I never... Maddie: I knew it was out lucky day, ! And I have an idea of what we should do with the money! Maddie: We shall have a Christmas dinner to celebrate together! Evie: And we shall invite Pippa and her parents! Rose: Fabulous idea, ! I shall roast a turkey! Isaac: But ladies- Maddie: Say not a word, Bontemps! It is decided! I'll see to it that the preparations are underway! At the Christmas dinner... Dick (wearing antlers, holding a carving knife): , the turkey is carved! Let the celebration begin! Viola (wearing a garland): "Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house... Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..." Rose (with Ratsputin on her shoulder, wearing a Santa hat): Well, I don't know about mice, but Rasputin in in a flurry of excitement! Mr and Mrs Caffrey: Merry Christmas, ! Thank you for all you've done for us! Charles (holding a Christmas cracker): Merry Christmas, ! Would you like to try my new invention? It's perfectly safe! Maddie (holding a Christmas cracker): I suppose you have to pull on it? (Maddie cracks the Christmas cracker.) Maddie: Quite ingenious, Charlie! Charles: Very happy Christmas, ! Category:Criminal Case Category:Transcripts